Effective Process Technology Transfer to Contract Manufacturers

As manufacturing outsourcing becomes more prevalent in the chemical industry, The Dow Chemical Company has developed processes to effectively manage and protect intellectual property, know-how and trade secrets as part of the outsourcing process. At the same time, detailed processing information, including environmental, health, safety and quality information, must be provided by the outsourcing company to ensure successful technology transfer and safe operations at the contractor facility.

In this presentation, the general process for selecting an appropriate contract manufacturer, setting up Confidentiality Disclosure Agreements, developing Technology Transfer documents, conducting a formal Request for Quote process, supporting the contract manufacturer through scale-up/qualification and negotiating a suitable Contract Manufacturing Agreement will be discussed. For each stage, general principles leading to project success for both the company and the contractor will be provided, including best practices and pitfalls. This stepwise process should foster collaboration and trust between the company and the contractor, hopefully leading to a successful process technology transfer and the basis for a long-term contracting relationship.